CNN signs up Sportal

The deal will see the formation of a site called CNN.Sportal.com featuring sporting news from Sportal for CNN's own US-based sporting site, CNNSI.com with the latter providing additional US content.

Mark Thurfield, a spokesman for Sportal said: "We aim to become a truly global company so launching cnn.sportal.com with Europe well covered and with operations in South Africa and Australia, the US is the only gap for us."

He added that Sportal would provide European sports content across all CNN group websites and both would share revenues under a new business model.

Thurfield confirmed Sportal was also looking outside its original shareholder base for an extra £7m in funding to help take it through to its projected profitability in the first quarter of 2002.

Last week in collaboration with GlobalWave's broadcast technology Sportal demonstrated what it claims to be the first-ever-genuine interactive broadband sports channel.

The channel creates an interactive sports environment with TV quality images on demand providing users with live action, content around specific events, interviews, and downloadable statistical information.

Sportal hopes the system will cover live events and sports coverage bought by an e-wallet at the PC or set-top box on a pay-per-play or subscription basis.

Thursfield said: "I'm a big fan of Sky Digital, but what they called interactive TV is misleading as in reality you have to change channels. This is very exciting as it truly is a fully interactive broadband TV channel."